Genealogy Chat

I have found an Andrew Byers in the 1911 census records for Huddersfield. - not sure if this the one that fits our storey.................

I have been in touch with an Australian contact who is trying to trace Andrew and so far there are no records of him leaving Australia. He has some brief notes about Andrew but nothing concrete. He was on a ship called Sobraon and may have left ship when it sailed to England from Melbourne. The family are descended from in ancestors in the Prince Edward Island , Canada.

Guy has lots of other information on this family but basically Andrew is the missing link in the chain.

Andrew,s sister Susannah Jane Byers married my husband's uncle Frederick Duxon and they lived in Hong Kong. She was always known as Violet even on her gravestone which is North Ryde Sydney.

Anyway if there any clues here for anyone to pick up on I should be glad to hear from you.


Hazel Duxon (nee Fenn)

????

Mr Andrew Byers
Birth Date: abt 1884
Age: 23
Port of Departure: Australia
Arrival Date: 1 Mar 1907
Port of Arrival: London, England
Ports of Voyage: Brisbane
[Sydney]
[Melbourne]
[Durban]
[Cape Town]
Ship Name: Marathon
Shipping Line: Aberdeen Line

Mmm perhaps not - he joined at Cape Town, He and Henry Byers Looks like 24, were both farmers

New South Wales, Australia, Entrance Books for the Vernon and the Sobraon, 1867-1911
Name: Andrew Byers
Birth Year: 1885
Birth Place: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Date Received: 19 Apr 1898
Ship: Sobraon
Father's Name: Robt Byers
Mother's Name: Annie Byers

I'll send you the image by PM


It wont go through the GR system, send me your email and I'll send it that way!

The marriage cert should give you his fathers name


Marriages Jun 1906
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BYERS Andrew James Huddersfield 9a 684
Hamer Beatrice Gladys Huddersfield 9a 684

According to an unsourced and undocumented tree on Ancestry, the Andrew Byers who was the son of Robert Howard Byers and Annie married an Evelyn M Mudie in Bombala, NSW in 1921.

Will have a dig around.

Hazel, could you confirm what is known of Andrew's parents.

Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950
about Andrew J Byers
Name: Andrew J Byers
Spouse Name: Evelyn M Mudie
Marriage Date: 1921
Marriage Place: New South Wales
Registration Place: Bombala, New South Wales
Registration Year: 1921
Registration Number: 16576



Hmmmm?


Deaths Jun 1959
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BYERS Beatrice G 76 Huddersfield 2b 646

The marriage mentioned above would be this one:

Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950
Name: Andrew J Byers
Spouse Name: Evelyn M Mudie
Marriage Date: 1921
Marriage Place: New South Wales
Registration Place: Bombala, New South Wales
Registration Year: 1921
Registration Number: 16576

I can trace this couple up to 1958 on the ER.
EDIT: Not sure it's the same couple on ER - the man is Andrew Joseph Byers and the wife Evelyn May. At one point he was a police constable, which doesn't sit right.

The Vernon and Sobraon were not sailing ships at that time, they were used as Industrial Schools for lads in trouble. More info here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-nsw/3682708463/

Having read the details in the entrance book he was being admitted to the Sobraon for correctional education.

It's unlikely that Andrew actually sailed anywhere at that time (well, not on those ships).

This looks like the marriage for the couple on the 1911:

West Yorkshire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935

Name: Beatrice Gladys Harner, spinster of Victoria Road
Birth Year: abt 1882
Age: 24
Marriage or Bann Date: 16 Apr 1906
Parish: Rashcliffe, St Stephen and Primrose Hill, etc·
Father's Name: Charles Harner - mechanic
Spouse's Name: Andrew James Byers, age 26. Goods porter of Rashcliffe Hill.
Spouse's Father's Name: Robert Byers - Fireman

Witnesses: Charlotte Ann Broadbent and Frederick ?????

Well, the father's name fits .......

Well Beatrice was still having children when the Andrew Byers married in Oz


Births Sep 1911 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BYERS Sydney Hamer Huddersfield 9a 597


Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Sep 1914 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Byers Stuart W Hamer Huddersfield 9a 579

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Mar 1922 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Byers Violet M E Hamer Huddersfield 9a 445

His brother was also admitted to the Sobraon:

New South Wales, Australia, Entrance Books for the Vernon and the Sobraon, 1867-1911

Name: William Byers
Birth Year: 1887
Birth Place: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Date Received: 5 Oct 1899
Ship: Sobraon
Father's Name: Robt H Byers - A FIREMAN !!
Mother's Name: Annie Byers

He was habitually wandering and begging. His parents lived apart and had 11 children.

Gins - if she had a child with another chap it would be registered as Byers I think?

Yeah, thats exactly what I was thinking or its a different Andrew :-S

Oooh MC just spotted the occupation for the father!

Brilliant, it looks like the same Andrew then

British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
Name: Andrew Byers
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1886
Age at enlistment: 22
Birth Parish: Sydney
Birth County: Australia
Document Year: 1908
Regimental Number: 114
Regiment Name: Bn W Res Reg
Number of images: 8

Enlisted 2 June 1908, stating had previously served 3 years with Yorks Light Infantry.

Very little info on the records. He had a speech impediment.

Gives nok as his father Robert of 14 Little Walker Street, North Sydney, NSW.

Why didn't he give Beatrice as nok? - they were already married.

The signature is the same as on the 1906 marriage.

Seems he was a bit of a lad!


Australia Birth Index, 1788-1922
Name: Evelyne M Mudie
Birth Date: 1903
Father's Name: Alexander C Mudie
Mother's Name: Mary
Birth Place: New South Wales
Registration Year: 1903
Registration Place: Bemboka, New South Wales
Registration Number: 19441

MC can you find a death for him??

First enlistment:

British Army Service Records 1760-1915 Transcription

First name(s): Andrew James
Last name: BYERS
Calculated year of birth: 1886
Parish of birth: St Phillips
Town of birth: Sydney
County of birth: NSW

Age at attestation: 18 years 6 months
Attestation date: 6 May 1903
Attestation corps: King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
Attestation soldier number:
Discharge rank: Private
Discharge corps: King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
Discharge soldier number: 7371
The National Archives reference: WO97 / 4472 / 172

On attestation gave his occupation as "Seaman". Nok father Robert Howard of Little Arthur St, Sydney and two elder brothers Edward and Robert of same address.

He had 31 sound teeth and an anchor on his right forearm.

He was discharged 1905 as medically unfit, having served in Crete and Malta.

His conduct was described as indifferent. He had been tried and convicted twice for using insubordinate language.

No Gins - can't find a death.

Thats more teef than youve got MC ;-)

Aye maybe Gins - but I can still give a nasty bite so watch it!